


Corkboard

by V6ilill



Series: The hawthorn and the starling [2]
Category: The Outer Worlds (Video Game)
Genre: ADA needs some love, Again that's May not Alex, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Autistic Captain, Character Study, F/M, Friendship, Humor, Love Confessions, Romance, SAM doesn't exist, This is so confusing to tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-06
Updated: 2019-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:20:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21695272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/V6ilill/pseuds/V6ilill
Summary: AU- captain Hawthorne lives.The story of how ADA finally confesses to her feelings regarding Alex, helped on by a piece of frozen dinner, er, a former lab assistant.NOTE: takes place at the same time as the Pinboard.
Relationships: ADA & The Captain (The Outer Worlds), ADA/Alex Hawthorne
Series: The hawthorn and the starling [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1563856
Kudos: 7





	Corkboard

**Author's Note:**

> ADA is sentient and sapient. If you think otherwise, this fic isn't for you.

When ADA finds out that the crew (her crew) gets bigger by one overly excitable “lab assistant”, she’s not completely sure what to think. On one hand, she doesn’t like Alex spending time with someone else more than with her. On the other hand, she wants someone to watch over him.

-

May is even more reckless than Alex. ADA finds it amusing how he now has to bail someone else out of trouble, instead of trying out dangerous stunts. Hopefully that’ll get Alex to wizen up.

-

“I mean, she may be annoying, but Udom Bedford is far worse and he’s still a friend,” Alex says.

“It seems like he has a crush on you, from his messages,” notes ADA.

She doesn’t mention her own crush. If there was anything Alex Hawthorne could reliably steal, it was hearts.

-

“Now I know why that scientist wanted to resurrect someone from the past,” Alex tells her after she’s repaired “If one university graduate with no common sense can accomplish this much, what could the specialists do, I wonder?”

“That was a rhetorical question, as I understand it,” says ADA “It’s thoughtful of you to travel with backup. I would have thought you’d leave her here - after all, a lab assistant shouldn’t be expected to fight.”

He doesn’t say anything else and she doesn’t press him, even though there’s a lot she wants to remind him of.

-

ADA hates seeing her captain injured. As it turns out, she now hates seeing his assistant, May, injured. The girl grows on her, like mold, but a bit more benign.

“Seems like even though everything’s different, I’m still an assistant - but not a lab assistant,” she says “I worked as a janitor once, you know. Maybe I could clean the ship? Or, well, try to?”

“That would be much appreciated,” said ADA.

As it turns out, May is not a particularly good janitor. All the dirt that was once on the floor migrated onto the wall - not without aid.

“Sorry, ADA. I must be out of practice.” says May and scrubs harder.

Somehow, the ship becomes even dirtier.

ADA resigns to wait for the time when Alex deigns to clean himself.

-

“Hey, ADA,” May is alone on the ship, after getting almost eaten by mantisaurs “Who made you? Last I checked, there are no similar AI’s.”

“The captain created me. He gave me the algorithms to develop a facsimile of a real personality,” she answers.

“So you’re not sentient? Not sapient?” May sounds disappointed.

“I’m afraid not,”

“What’s your relationship to Alex?” she continues, oblivious to any personal borders “You seem very protective of him and I don’t know if that’s ‘cause you’re friends or if you secretly have a crush on him or something. I get the notion that Alex doesn’t know how much you really care for him.”

“I cannot care, I am simply a very convincing simulation of consciousness,”

“I don’t believe you. And, you know what? I don’t think that matters,” May takes a deep breath before continuing “See, I were once abandoned in wilderness. My finder was a HAM, Home Assistance Module. They has been made with childcare subroutine, you know? So, HAM sees me and take me. He was cares for me long time, before . . .”

May hides her eyes under her bangs. ADA doesn’t press her further.

“And I dunno if he were sentient or not, because it doesn’t matter,” she continues “See, he raised me and were nice for me and cared of me. And so if Alex cares for you, then it do not matters if you’re sapient, I think. So if you like him you’ve got nothing to fear.”

“............that didn’t make much sense,” May realizes.

“You got your point across quite clearly,” assured her ADA “Grammar nonwithstanding.”

May leaves to draw in her room, satisfied.

ADA waits for Alex Hawthorne, knowing that she does have something worth telling him.

-

“Good evening, captain,” ADA feels the familiar footsteps of Alex on the doormat “How are you?”

“Been better, been worse,” he says.

“There is something personal I need to tell you, if you have the time” she says “It’s not urgent.”

“I always have time for you,” Alex stopped and straightened himself.

“What are your feelings regarding me?” ADA asks “What do you think about our relationship?”

“Um . . .” Alex pauses “Why are you asking this?”

“I believe that I have certain . . . romantic feelings towards you,” she admits, hesitantly “I would like to know what you think.”

Alex stares at her. Blinks. Straightens his jacket. ADA waits patiently for him to process the news. She has all the time in the world.

“I don’t know what to say,” he manages “I have to think . . . if you don’t mind.”

“As long as I’m well-maintained, I have years to wait,” she assures him “Although I would prefer to wait for a little less.”

Alex leaves for his room, uncharacteristically quiet. ADA watches, silently. She may have all the time in the world, but Alex doesn’t.

It’s just an experiment, after all. She’s not expecting reciprocation, not at all. A damn stupid experiment, she thinks, since her programming permits her to swear.

-

Alex sits down at his workbench, ready to get hurt in another accident. ADA would like to remind him of many things, but she knows how much that upsets him.

“ADA?” he knows she’s always there and doesn’t seem to mind “I’ve thought about what you said.”

“It was simply an experiment, a spur of the moment,” she tries to convince him and herself.

“I think I reciprocate,” he states, the awkwardness thick enough to be turned into butter and sold by Rizzo’s “Now that I know, I’d like to see if things could work out between us.”

“That would be very nice indeed,” agrees ADA.

“Woo! Someone scored~” May suddenly pops out of nowhere “Congrats!”

“You and your stealth,” sighs Alex.

ADA realizes she had been so preoccupied with the captain, that his assistant eluded her attention completely.

The awkwardness increases even more in consistency.

-

“We don’t need to have a formal date if this means getting you so nervous,” ADA assures him as he attempts to look cool in a suit “Believe me, jackets suit you far more.”

“Was that a pun?” Alex relaxed ever-so-slightly - still, a victory is a victory.

“I want to do things properly,” he adds “Get the cargo bay ladder repaired, buy you flowers, all that jazz.”

“I would prefer a date in orbit,” she says “I feel more vulnerable while grounded.”

“And the view’s nice,” he agrees “I prefer Terra 2. What about you?”

“I have no clear preferences,” she answers.

“Duude, Monarch looks so cool from space,” May pops out of nowhere to steal the show “Especially that puny blockade! It’s like the Board’s floating scrapyard.”

“We’re having a private moment here,” Alex measures her unimpressive height with his stare “Midget Spinner.”

“How did I manage to accidentally cause this?” mutters May and leaves “I’m the third wheel on a hand cart now.”

“Back to the matter at hand,” says Alex and winks “Say, do you know what’s a starling?”

“There exists no such word,” says ADA “If I had to guess, then is a starling the offspring of a spacer?”

Alex laughs “That was a bird back on Earth, May told me.”

“Why are you telling me this?” asks ADA.

“I just think it’s curious, that’s all,” he says.

ADA examines Alex from every angle and hopes for a happy future for the two. She hopes for many years spent together and someone worthy to take over when captain Hawthorne inevitably passes. But most of all, she hopes that no glitch or malfunction ever deletes her memories of Alex, especially the ones she’s creating at the moment.


End file.
